20 



THE ORCHIDS OF NEW ENGLAND. 



find little green cornucopias pushing their way up here and 

 there, from a cleft and fleshy root, each composed of two thick 

 leaves unlike anything else in character, and with a non-com- 

 mittal air about them, certain to spread generously apart 



towards the end of the 

 month, and offer their treas- 

 ure : a low stalk, or scape of 

 pinkish-purple and white 

 flowers. This is Orchis sped- 

 abilis, the Gay, Showy, or 

 Spring Orchis ; called, in the 

 Middle States, " Preacher in 

 the Pulpit," the anther-cells 

 under the canopied sepals 

 and petals probably suggest- 

 ing two clergymen overshad- 

 owed by a sounding-board, 

 the rostellum representing 

 their pulpit. Glad as I am to 

 see its little nosegays dot- 

 Fig. 4-Orchis mascula. {From Darwin.) ting the woods, I take small 



ZZSL. ;: p n on^,o rp onen- m as, pleasure in gathering the 



tSSL, r^distfpSuxn. Plant, which is too short 



A. Side view of flower, all the petals and sepals ^ Q j-^ g rG uped with trilliums 

 removed, except the labellum, of which the near half 



is cut away, as well as the upper portion of the near anc J bellwortS, tOO Coarse tO 

 side of the nectary. v 11 A 



B. Front view of flower, sepals and petals removed, gO With mitellaS and VIO- 



"^pEK^cr pollen-mass, showin g the pack- lets J but when analysis is UU- 



ets of poiien-grains, the caudicie, and the viscid disc, ^ertaken, sentiment quickly 



D. Front view of the caudicles of both pollinia with 



the discs lying within the rostellum, its lip being de- gj ves way, and I am willing- 

 pressed. 111 1 



E. Section through one side of the rostellum, with ly Compelled to hold the 

 the included disc and caudicie of one pollinium, lip . \ • \ 

 not depressed. SllOWy OrchlS 111 high 



F. Packets of pollen-grains, tied together by elas- . 



ith the British 



tic threads, here extended. (Copied from Bauer.) 



Orchis spcctabilis agrees pretty closely 

 Orchis mascula, and I use Darwin's account of the manner 



